Welburn Gunning for National

Gunner Welburn, fourth in last season’s Martell Cognac Grand National, is on course for another crack at the Aintree marathon following his return to winning form in a dramatic skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby yesterday.

Andrew Balding’s rising 12-year-old gave his supporters heart-stopping moments with mistakes at the fifth-last and three out, but Richard McGrath kept the partnership going to hold the persistent challenge of Skippers Cleuch by four lengths.

Hussard Collonges was becoming outpaced when he took a horrible fall six out, but Truckers Tavern was travelling well, just on the heels of the eventual first two, when he crumpled on landing at the next.

Balding said: “I am very pleased, I was a bit worried that he might need it, but he dug deep and Richard gave him a good ride.

“He is in at Warwick on January 10 and that might come a bit soon, but he would be running off today’s mark.”

The race sponsors clipped Gunner Welburn from 33-1 to 25-1 for the Grand National, and Balding added: “Hopefully we will go to Aintree again. It is very nice to see him back to his best.

“That was Richard’s first ride for us. He was top of the list of the jockeys who were available.”

McGrath, who had been due to ride Ryalux, said: “He had a setback and was unable to run and I only knew I was down to ride Gunner Welburn when I looked at the declarations last night.

“We had one or two hiccups, but nothing major in the race and he is very tough and game. It was just the job to come in for a ride like that and I am grateful to Mr Balding for putting me up.”

McGrath had initiated a double when Cruise Leader ended a quiet spell for trainer Chris Grant with a convincing success in the skybetvegas.com Tony Dickinson Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Cruise Leader is one of five horses Grant trains for leading owner Trevor Hemmings, and the former, sending out his first winner for three months, said: “It has been a long time.

“He is a nice sort of horse and he had problems before he came to me, but hopefully he is over them now and we have turned the corner.”

Pat Haslam’s King Revo may have had a bit of luck on his side, but he looks a useful recruit to the jumping game and made it two out of two under Graham Lee in the Rocom Introductory Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.

Kentucky Blue blundered badly and gave Russ Garritty no chance of staying on board when upsides King Revo at the final flight, but Lee felt his mount would have won anyway.

Haslam was busy at his Middleham yard, but his wife Ann said: “The ground was a bit on the soft side for him really, but he handled it well, I don’t know what we will do with him now, but he looks as though he might be quite nice.

“Graham liked him and he should know, he has been sitting on some very good horses this season.”

Sue Smith sent out the first and third in the Sky Bet Press Red To Bet Beginners’ Chase, her course specialist Mister McGoldrick (4-6) scoring in good style under Dominic Elsworth, with stable companion Forum Chris taking the minor prize.

Bingley-based Mrs Smith said of Mister McGoldrick, who was recording his fourth track success: “He loves Wetherby. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because it’s only a 40-minute drive in the horsebox.

“He loves soft ground, so we are hoping for a bit more rain. Hopefully we will look for something better at some stage, perhaps more towards Aintree than Cheltenham, where it seems to be fast ground all the time.”

Richard Phillips received a belated but most welcome Christmas present when General Gossip, ridden by Warren Marston, got his team back on the score sheet in the skybetvegas.com Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Phillips had gone 74 days without a winner, and his assistant Gordon Clarkson said: “There was something going round the yard, like in a lot of other stables, and we have just had to be patient.

“They are coming back now, but they are all needing a run really. Warren said the ground was sticky, but General Gossip stays very well and he has done it well.”

Gino Carenza is very good value for his 5lb allowance and he was seen to good effect as he got the Mick Easterby-trained Middlethorpe home in front in the concluding Sky Bet ‘In Running’ On All Premiership Games Handicap Hurdle.

However, he fell foul of the stewards and was suspended for three days (January 7, 8 and 9) for careless riding on the home turn.

This was the first year since 1998 that both days of the Christmas meeting had been staged, and the total attendance over the two days was 19,500 (12,700 on the first day).